Looking for Christ's work in people

I've shared a couple of times that I often struggle to love other Christians. This year has been really hard, in multiple relationships and a variety of situations. I've been confronted with my own sin as seldom before. This sin may be invisible to most people, even those I'm sinning against, but I know what happens in my heart. The sinful emotions that steal my joy in Christ have become familiar enemies. All too often I have failed to heed these verses:

Phillipians 2: 3 " . . . in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself."

Proverbs 11: 12 "He who is devoid of wisdom despises his neighbor".

At some point, I relalised this had to end. But how? How could I stop thinking these things? I have not yet had total victory, but one thing has been a great help. This is to take the time to look for signs of grace in other Christians, as recommended in C.J. Mahaney's book Humility: true Greatness. I took the time to write these down and look for as many as possible. This is a practice I recommend.




I did not restrict my writing to people who I was struggling to love, but also included some whom I find it easy to admire and enjoy. The idea is based on this verse:

1 Corinthians 1:4 "I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given to you by Christ Jesus"

The idea is to look for signs of this grace at work. We know it is there, but sometimes we fail to acknowledge its evidence! One way to observe it is to look for the fruits of the spirit and the way people are using their gifts to serve. I did this with my Mum, who is a great blessing to me (and is not one of the people I particularly struggle to love!). I'll share the points here to give you an idea of what you could do:

Love for God, the Bible, and her family. Enduring love that forgets wrongs. Forgiving love. Humble love. Hopeful love.

Joy in her salvation, answered prayer, and godly fellowship.

Patience with her husband, her children, projects she undertakes, and her with people at school.

Goodness in visiting Aunty Val, filling her mind with good things and avoiding evil, and helping Janelle.

Gentleness toward all.

Self-control in keeping house, gardening, rising early, keeping her emotions in check, holding her tongue, and preparing for teaching.

Long-suffering in the face of her health struggles.

Kindness in speech, offers of help, prayers and gifts.

As I have gone through this process with a number of Christians, it has always been abundantly clear that God is at work in their lives! This has given me a renewed and healthier perspective on those people I struggle to love.

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Hello, I am not a fundamentalist, I am a human being

When I wrote my post There is a standard for your vote, I expected disagreement. It is not a shock that some people don't like it that I honestly believe that many on both sides of politics have been ignoring parts of the Bible, and that it is possible to sin in casting your vote. However, upon reading this article that was recommended as an antidote to my error, I must admit that I am somewhat shaken. If any of my readers honestly believe that fellow Christians can be put into boxy categories like "fundamentalist" and "Mainstream evangelical", we are asking different questions and will arrive at different answers. I have an idea that the fundo box has a picture on it, which looks something like this . . .




My continual attempt on this blog and in the whole of life is to ask one question: "What does the Bible say about this matter?" and after that "How does that apply to how we live as Christians, and particularly to how I live?". My assumption in doing so is that the Bible does speak to all areas of life and that we can understand it. Any advice I receive from Christians, and any opinion that is given, is filtered based on the questions "Is this the conclusion the Bible would lead us toward, if we were using that as our main reference point?" and "Does this person have a biblical reason for what they're saying?".

Asking these questions often puts me in conflict with ideas that are being pedalled on both sides of the political spectrum. It also doesn't help with trying to fit nicely into a Christian box, even the one with the fundo picture on it. There have been many times when I've had to repent of immense anger and anxiety about the actions and ideas of Christian "conservatives". Yet the questions above are the only ones I know how to ask. They are the basis on which I attempt to fear God, not man. They are the basis on which I offer any conclusions about the Christian life, and upon which I consider changing any position I have taken. They form the shape of my very self. Sorry, I don't have any other questions or answers to offer.

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There is a standard for your vote

During the US election campaign, I have often thought about the willingness of evangelicals to explain away the implications of some parts of Scripture. This can be evident on both sides of politics. Modern evangelicals have both an obsession with the importance of the Bible, and a curious disregard for it. Apparently reading the Bible is essential to spiritual life. On the other hand, evangelicals are prone to arguing that the Bible does not speak to particular areas. They usually do this through explaining away or ignoring the parts of the Bible that do apply. This has been evident Christian responses to this election campain.

Some go as far as arguing that Christianity does not have implications for whether you vote Democrat or Republican. Why? Being a Christian is about the gospel. This statement implies that the gospel comes to us in some kind of nebulous vacuum. It comes contextless, and devoid of any compelling claim upon our decisions. It is odd, then, that God chose to accompany the gospel with a Bible. Jesus came to us in the context a wealth of literature that gives us a very good idea of what his will is when it comes to rulers and laws. It may be that neither Democrats nor Republicans fit the bill, but we have been given standards we can use to evaluate both. Yes, you are still a Christian if you sinfully support wicked rulers. You are a Christian who needs to repent, and who can rely on the endless grace of God given in the gospel.

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Learning to Fear God

I have recently been seeking to address my tendency toward a lack of love, and toward being excessively concerned about what others are doing. Dave and I are trying to become far more concerned about our own sins than the sins others may be commiting! I have realised that one of the roots of my lack of love is a lack of the fear of God. In John 6:44 Jesus says: "How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God?". We should follow Christ, not our Christian neighbours. We seek the approval of the Almighty, not the affirmation of Christian leaders.

The actions (or lack of actions) of other Christians worry me because I depend too much upon them to affirm my own choices and beliefs. Ultimately though, what others do or think should not effect how I perceive my own Christian life. What matters is what God thinks, and what God would have us do. Even the Internet can, for me, become another way to seek to affirm myself through finding someone who agrees with me. What matters, though, is whether God agrees. If I am convinced that the fear of God requires me to heed a certain part of the Bible that others appear to disregard, that is all the motivation I should need.

It has been a real help to realise that it is the fear of God that leads me to seek to . . .

• Treasure Jesus and the gospel
• Participate in church life
  
• Pray
• Resist the temptation to speak ill of others
  
• Fill our home with good, positive, and lovely things, sounds and experiences
• Care about the poor and the persecuted church
  
• Faithfully care for our home
• Be hospitable
• Forgive
• Welcome children into our home and family
  
• Study the Bible
• Reach out to our neighbours
  
• Do what I've promised or commited to do
• Steward our money and be generous
• Use my time wisely

Focusing on fearing God, rather than on what others are doing, has already been a great help to me. For example, yesterday I got up late after being awake from 5 - 6am when Dave left to travel. I was tempted to compare myself to others, thinking about how my neighbour gets up early to go to work. Then I asked that simple question: am I fearing God. The answer was "yes", because I'd stayed in bed in an effort to have the energy to enjoy homegroup that night. This has been a real struggle for me recently! When we're fearing God, finding someone else "like us" who affirms the way we are is suddenly less important. What matters is how we believe our actions reflect (or do not reflect) obedience to God's priorities for our lives.

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John Newton's childhood tales

I have been reading John Newton, a biography by Jonathan Aitken. It is amazing to read of the many biblical passages and sections of catechisms that John's mother taught him before he was six years old.

I guess parents these days don't need to worry about inflicting such unnecessary work upon their offspring, because we have - wait for it - VeggieTales.

All sarcasm is intended.

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Our new garden

Dave has built us a wonderful new garden. He did it all on his own, using a lot of materials and soil we already had. In this picture we are with Tim & Shellyanne.

So far we have planted some flowers, carrots, lettuce, spinach, beetroot, radish, spring onion, various types of beans and tomatoes, corn, patty pan squash, zucchini, gem squash, and sunflowers. We are growing mainly from seed this year, so it takes a bit longer to get started! It is rewarding though, to see the plants poking through the soil.

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Horrified

One point in my TV post could do with clarification. I mentioned that I am horrified when I read about some types of sin. Please let me make it clear that I am horrified primarily because of what I believe these things do to people's lives. It is not like "ewwww, I can't believe anyone would do that, how can they be so bad". Rather, I am grieved that many people will base their lives upon what is glamourised and promoted as normal. They will miss out on the beauty of a godly marriage, amongst other things. The consequences of that, especially considered on a nation wide level, are truly horrifying. Surely this is a motive for evangelism? Jesus brings to people not only Himself and salvation from sin. He also brings the opportunity and the mandate to change your behaviour and beliefs to those that reflect His beauty. Beliefs and behaviour are the essence of culture, and I believe Jesus wants us to create new cultures in our homes and families.

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